Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Shapes and styles

Shapes and styles

Various ring shapes and styles exist. The following are but a few.

Flat wedding bands are the simplest form of ring that can be made. A flat wedding band basically consists of a strip of metal that is bent around into a loop and joined where the ends meet.

Half-round rings, also called D-shape rings, are flat wedding bands that are filed half-round on the outside.
Sleeve rings are rings that consist of a thin inner ring or sleeve, with several other rings stacked onto it to form one solid ring. The rings can either be soldered onto the sleeve or the ends of the sleeve can be upset (like a tube rivet) to keep them all together. A little of both can also be done.

Solitaire rings are rings with a single large stone as a centrepiece, usually a diamond.

Eternity rings are rings with stones, usually diamonds, of the same cut and size, set in one row all around the ring. The stones are usually round or square, and the setting is usually either claws or a channel setting. When the stones do not continue around the entire ring, but stop halfway around the finger, it is called a half-eternity ring.
Trinity rings or Trilogy Rings are three rings to be worn at one time.

Cluster rings are rings with a group of stones in a cluster setting, forming the focal point of the ring. The cluster setting usually consists of one large stone (usually round or oval) in the center surrounded with several smaller stones.

Tension Rings are a type of ring in which a single gemstone is held in place by pressure rather than prongs, a bezel or other mounting. The metal setting is actually spring-loaded to exert pressure onto the gemstone.

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Customized engagement ring for a personal touch

Are you tired of off-the-rack engagement ring designs? Couples choose engagement rings to symbolize their relationship and innovative couples seek different alternatives from the usual ring designs. From simple design choices to elaborate and unique options, there are many ways to customize an engagement ring. 

Basically a customized ring is something that is made exclusively for an individual rather than duplicated for a mass market. It is possible to build an engagement ring from scratch or couples can take a mass market ring and add embellishments, enhancers or other intricate details to create a custom ring from a traditional base. 

Couples should however study the basics of different metals, settings and diamond quality before creating a ring. They must also have clear understanding of the properties of the diamond like carat weight, color, clarity and cut so that they can familiarize themselves with the structure of the diamond. Also this would help to better accentuate the stone. Similarly if the couples intend to use a different gem, they should know all about its characteristics. Couple can set off to create their own custom engagement ring one they become familiar with the ingredients that constitutes a quality piece of jewelry.

A stunning engagement ring can be made in different ways. Couples can easily create the perfect ring to match their personalities and the relationship they share through simple substitutions or full scale independent ring designs. A common way of creating a custom ring is choosing an alternative gemstone either as the center stone or accent. Due to the sentimental connection to the couple, the birthstone has become popular choices. 

They birthstones even represent the special days in the couple’s life including the upcoming wedding. If couples wish to try for more unique gems, they can consider turquoise, mystic topaz or tanzanite. If they wish to preserve the traditional sentiments of diamonds, couples can use fancy colored diamonds which would offer uniqueness too. Popular hues come in black, blue, pink and yellow. 

While considering the metal, yellow gold is the most popular engagement ring metal choice for most of couples. However people also go for platinum or white gold. Consider using less common metals like silver or titanium or even specialized gold hues like rose for a custom ring. Another metal option is multi tone rings that combine different metals into one cohesive design. For getting a more unique look, go for fused mokume gane designs. However the most common and least expensive method of customization would be engraving. 

People engrave their initials, significant date like wedding date or any special date can add a touch of personal feeling to the ring. Usually the engravings are done inside the band in either a block or script font. For a semi private configuration, couples can go for metal filigree and engraving the exterior of the ring which would be often under the setting and visible from the side. 

Once the couples find a perfect engagement ring, they can create customized ring by creating matching wedding rings that would complement the initial ring. However not every jeweler offer customized engagement rings. But there are many online jewelers would be ready to work with the couples in making a customized ring.

Monday, 14 March 2011

Sure fire tips to get the perfect design engagement rings


You have been hearing a lot about design engagement rings lately. But you may ask how do I find the perfect design engagement ring? It is really frustrating when you want to try something different but you are not able to find it. There are certain helpful tips that would guide you to design the special engagement ring.

To begin with you need to do some amount of research on the contemporary engagement ring designs. It would be really fun to engage yourself in something interesting like the rings along with your fiancée. You can take reference from books, magazines, jewelry stores, vintage stores and antique stores. Such places would provide you necessary information and also exciting ideas. Make a note of everything and when you find something you like, try to make a copy of it.

The second step is to look up jewelers or jewelry designers in your local yellow pages or directories. Make a list of the reliable and reputed stores and start fixing appointments with them. Basically you would wish to work with a jeweler whom you would feel comfortable with. While you are visiting the stores, ask them to show you some samples of their work. Seek references from the jewelers and contact the experienced customers to find out if they were satisfied with the particular jewelry store.

Once you are satisfied with the jewelers, you can discuss with them your ideas and expectations. Pull out those pictures and samples that you have collected for the reference. After seeing the samples, they would decide what is possible and what is not. Here also feeling comfortable and easy to work with the particular jeweler is important since you wish to give a lot of input into the actual design. You must be open with the person and should be comfortable to tell them when you really don’t like some ideas.

If you find the whole process confusing and time consuming, the simplest solution is to go online and type design engagement ring in your favorite search engines. You would be bombarded with number of online jewelers who are offering customized engagement rings. Online jewelers provide excellent ring designs and large variety from which you can select your favorite choice. if you browse through various online stores, you will understand that it is indeed the easy way to get a custom made engagement ring.

You must have already done your homework and hence would know what exactly you need. Take your time and browse through the design engagement ring websites. You can even make your search more specific by adding specific requirements like design diamond engagement ring or customized platinum engagement ring. Once your eyes are set on a particular design, you can start the process of designing. Never expect that you would hit the perfect engagement ring design in the first attempt itself. Keep on trying until you are satisfied with the pattern.

It would be with great pride that you will tell people about the design ring adorning the finger of your sweet heart. Give the design engagement ring a try to receive the pats on your shoulder.